Easier Said
by Oasis Blackmore
Summary: It was all his fault. The suspicion, the investigation, everything. All because he couldn’t keep his jealous mouth shut. Oneshot. Ryan-centric. Slash. Disregards HSM 3.


**A/N: So, my original idea for this fic was pretty basic, pretty clichéd, pretty un-Ryan-related, but then I kept thinking about it, and it evolved into . . . this extremely long oneshot. AU HSM 3. Enjoy.**

Easier Said

It started with Sharpay's mockery that Monday.

"God, Ry, you're practically _drooling_. I still don't understand what's so great about him."

"Him" was Chad Danforth, East High School's second favorite jock, preceded only by Troy Bolton. As far as Chad's greatness went, there were about a million things Ryan could list, but he figured his twin would be too busy primping and preening to really listen. "I'm not drooling," he replied instead, still watching Chad and his friends from his safe distance down the hall.

"I don't see why you don't just go talk to him," Sharpay reasoned, liberally applying lip-gloss in front of the mirror in her locker.

"He's not interested." Ryan felt a twinge at just how _un_interested Chad was and managed to detach his gaze long enough to catch the incredulous look on his sister's face.

"_That_ doesn't matter," she argued. "An Evans can get any man they want, as long as they put in a little effort."

"Yeah? How's that working out for you and Troy?" Ryan felt guilty about his words as soon as Sharpay's countenance tightened.

"Troy's just stubborn. He'll come around," she assured, speaking more to herself than Ryan.

"Speak of the devil," the latter muttered as the aforementioned primo boy sidled up to his best friend and comfortably slung an arm around his shoulders. _This_ was part of the reason Ryan was so hesitant to make any kind of move. Troy and Chad were so close, he sometimes thought--but that was ridiculous. Because both boys were straight as poles.

"Anyway, I thought you two were friends after that whole . . . _baseball_ thing," Sharpay continued with a hint of bitterness in her voice, honorably managing not to look up when she was alerted to Troy's presence.

"Being friends with me until he and Troy stopped fighting doesn't make him gay." Ryan clenched his jaw as Troy leaned in and whispered something in Chad's ear, eliciting a hearty laugh. "Besides, he's into someone else." He spoke out of envy more than anything, his blood boiling just beneath the surface.

"So? Taylor McKessie does _not_ count as competition."

"I wasn't talking about Taylor," Ryan blurted before he could consider the consequences.

Puzzled, Sharpay pulled away from her reflection. "Ryan, I've heard all the gossip there is, and Chad and Taylor . . ." She trailed off and followed Ryan's fiery gaze toward the two jocks, her face contorting with realization and pity. "Oh, Ry. You don't _really_ think . . ." Troy pulled Chad a little closer, evidently in response to something one of the other guys had said, turning his head and watching Chad's reaction to the conversation, a smile gracing his lips. Sharpay was torn for a moment, but she quickly recovered, shaking her head decisively. "No, no. That's just . . . That's impossible." But she didn't sound quite convinced.

"It is?" Ryan was almost hopeful, for even though Chad being with Troy meant that he had a chance, Troy _did_ count as competition, unfortunately the unbeatable kind.

"Yes. Yes, it is. Troy and Gabriella . . ." Unable (or unwilling) to complete the statement, Sharpay pursed her lips and tossed her hair. "Stop being stupid, Ryan."

"I dunno, Shar . . . Look at them," Ryan persevered. The boys still stood within each other's loose, one-armed embrace, so close that there wasn't an inch of space between them but so relaxed that it _could_ be construed as nothing more than a friendly position.

"What about them?" Sharpay asked indifferently, not daring to look again.

"They're all close and smiling and . . . It just seems like--"

"Listen to me," Sharpay interrupted, fluffing her hair. "I think you're just jealous. I mean, you've never had a real boy _friend_, and you're mistaking what _they_ have for the kind of relationship _you_ want."

If there was one thing, for which Ryan could always count on his twin, it was her blunt and often insulting honesty, especially when she was feeling threatened. "I think _you're_ just afraid of Troy loving anyone who isn't you," he shot back irritably.

Sharpay's grooming ceased instantly, and she slowly pivoted to face her brother, eyebrows raised. "Well!" she huffed. "If _that's_ what you think, then _I_ think this conversation is over." After one last glance at herself in the mirror, she pointedly slammed her locker shut, drawing the attention of their peers, and strutted toward her next class.

"Sharpay!" Ryan called helplessly, not really having meant to offend her.

"Over!" she repeated loudly, not bothering to glance back at him.

With a scowl that soon faded, Ryan inhaled deeply, mentally reciting a yoga chant. He stopped when he heard the pack of jocks noisily trooping in his direction, headed by Chad and Troy, who were talking animatedly to one another like the rest of the group wasn't present.

"Having a catfight, Evans?" one jock mocked from somewhere in the center of the crowd.

"I bet Sharpay won," another commented snidely.

"Hey, leave him alone." Ryan's stomach flipped at the protective edge in Chad's voice as he and Troy approached. "'Sup, Evans?" Chad greeted, clapping him firmly on the back and pulling him into the procession. "Sharpay getting to you?"

Ryan smirked a little at the extra attention. "Like you wouldn't believe."

"I know what that's like," Troy empathized from Chad's other side.

"Totally," Chad agreed, his gaze slipping back to Troy before Ryan spoke up.

"Uh, where's Gabriella?"

"She and her mom are visiting family out of town. She'll be back on Friday," Troy informed, sounding neither thrilled nor disappointed.

"Troy's just gonna have to settle for hanging with me all week," Chad pitched in, nudging Troy with a smile. Now, _he_ sounded nothing short of exultant.

Evidently seeing the dismayed look on Ryan's face, Troy quickly added, "If you need to talk to her about the musical, I can ask her to call you."

"Oh, no. That's okay. It can wait." Ryan forced a smile, turning away from the pair, which resumed its former chat, something about jump shots, easily.

---

The rapid clicking of his sister's heels on the tile reached Ryan's ears before her shrill voice did. "Ryan! We need to talk!" She caught his arm as she reached him, and he let out an inaudible sigh of relief, thankful she hadn't decided to draw out their conflict. Leaning in conspiratorially as she tugged him toward the school's exit, she whispered, "I think you might be right."

"Really?" Both pleased at being correct for once and concerned about the implications of such a discovery, Ryan left his tone empty of all but surprise. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, I've been watching . . . _them_ all day, and I've been noticing a lot of things."

"What things?" Ryan asked, showing enough interest to goad Sharpay into securing some kind of promise from him before giving answers.

"Ryan, how far are you willing to take this?"

Ryan frowned at how grimly she posed the question. "How far am I willing to take _what_, exactly?"

"The investigation," she answered as if it were obvious.

Inwardly panicking about how Sharpay intended to exploit the knowledge she might gain from this, Ryan was quick to oppose. "Sharpay, you can't use what I said to break up Troy and Gabriella."

"_Honestly_!" Sharpay exclaimed, faking astonishment. "Does that seem like something I would do?" Ryan gave her a look, which, twin telepathy or no, she was easily able to decipher. "Okay, so maybe the thought _had_ crossed my mind," she amended, "but, as Gabriella's friend--" Another meaningful look. "As her _close _acquaintance, isn't it my _duty_ to let her know if her boyfriend is, say, _gay_?"

"Even if it was, you don't have any evidence to prove it, and she wouldn't believe anything she didn't see with her own eyes, especially coming from you. Besides, _we_ don't even know for sure."

"That's why we'll _investigate_," Sharpay explained as they reached her conveniently-parked convertible.

"I don't think--"

"Don't you want to know the truth?" she pressured over the top of the car.

"Well, yes, but--"

"Then we should look into this," she resolved as she lowered herself into the driver's seat.

Still not sure investigating was a good idea, Ryan reluctantly sat down on the passenger's side. "So, what'll you do if I was wrong?" He felt he had to ask; there were a lot of holes (and a lot of potentially wasted effort) in his sister's plan.

"Nothing; we'll pretend we never even suspected," Sharpay said, but Ryan was sure she'd blame him for all the irreplaceable time she had put into the project if it didn't pay off. "Come on, Ry. I can't do it without you, and you know you're curious."

Taking a deep breath as he buckled his seatbelt, Ryan made his decision, one that he had no way of knowing would have lasting repercussions. "Okay. I'll help you, but you have to promise no one'll get hurt."

Sharpay quirked an eyebrow, one side of her mouth tipping upward mischievously. "I promise."

Partially satisfied, Ryan settled into his seat, wrinkled clothing be damned. "Hey, you never told me what changed your mind."

Sharpay glanced at him, enjoying his anxious anticipation, in spite of how much the entire ordeal ruined all her hopes of being with Troy. "I saw them hurrying into one of the bathrooms after fourth period," she revealed primly before pealing out of the school parking lot, drowning out Ryan's expressions of shock.

---

Tuesday, Sharpay had everything mapped out, from where she and Ryan would meet after first period to who would be eavesdropping on whom and when; she graciously gave Ryan watch over Chad for most of the day, "coincidentally" leaving the task of spying on Troy all to herself.

Considering his years of following her orders, Ryan had no problem sticking to Sharpay's plan, though he was tempted, having so much personal interest in the matter, to take over the job of mastermind. In the end, he conceded that, as much as he sometimes resented her for it, Sharpay was best at what she did.

Sharpay shared first period with Chad, Ryan with Troy, so they went their separate ways and paid attention to the minute details, covertly eyeing the texts each boy received and listening in on the conversations they had with their friends. After a seemingly uneventful hour of observation, Ryan met his sister near the bulletin boards, surprised by her excited grin.

"After school, they're meeting in the gym," she informed quickly, eyes alight with the thrill of her success as they started toward their next class.

"Just them?" Ryan asked, thinking the other boys might join for basketball practice.

"Just them," Sharpay assured. "Chad said he couldn't go to somebody's cousin's baseball game because he and Troy have to work on their buckshot or something."

"So, what's the plan?" Ryan inquired, absorbing the information with discomfort.

"We'll be there, of course."

Confusion dimpled Ryan's forehead. "Where?"

"In the gym," Sharpay answered, sighing in exasperation. "I swear, Ryan. Sometimes, you're almost as dumb as the rest of them. We'll hide under the bleachers and watch."

"I don't think they'll jump each other in the middle of the school," Ryan offered skeptically.

"Well, duh," Sharpay scoffed. "I don't think so either, but right now, we're trying to figure out their . . . _status_. If they think they're alone, whether they're in the school or not, they're bound to slip up."

"I don't know . . ."

"You don't have to know. _I'm_ in charge, and I say we go watch."

Ignoring the blatantly bossy tone of her voice, Ryan kept his opinion on Sharpay's dictatorship to himself, trailing after her into the classroom.

---

It was a long day for the Evans twins, filled with all the angst of knowing one's crush has a thing for someone else and only made worse by the subtle smiles, lingering glances, and brief touches they wouldn't have noticed if they hadn't been looking.

At the end of last period, the bell finally freed swarms of eager teenagers. Possibly sensing his remaining hesitation, Sharpay hooked an arm through Ryan's on the way out of their shared class, pulling him in the direction of their decided destination, against the grain of students flushing toward all available exits.

"We need to make sure we get there before they do. Otherwise, this isn't gonna work," Sharpay directed, quickening her already clipped steps.

They made it to the gym and scurried under the bleachers, Ryan exclaiming in protest when he accidentally knocked off his periwinkle fedora. Jabbing a sharp elbow into his side to shut him up, Sharpay knelt down, eyes level with a space in the benches, and motioned for Ryan to mimic her actions.

"Have you _looked_ at the floor?" he complained, eyeing the dust, spilt soda, and chewed gum that had formed a chunky, blackish glaze over the wooden panels.

"Don't think about it," Sharpay hissed.

"But, Shar, these pants--"

Sharpay shushed him just in time to hear the squeak of sneakers and the resonant thud of a basketball on waxed hardwood coming from the locker room entrance, and Ryan promptly dropped to his knees, wincing at the thought of the irremovable stains the mess underneath him was no doubt leaving.

Chad's large hair was visible all the way across the gym, and, to Ryan, so was the unmistakable, positively adorable, grin he sported as he dribbled their way. He stopped in the middle of the basketball court, and Ryan felt a blush creep up his cheeks as he bent over and began stretching. Sharpay looked at her brother askance, obviously resisting snickering.

It was at least ten awkward minutes before the creak of the doors Sharpay and Ryan had come through brought Chad out of his poses. He turned, and his features lit up.

"Dude, what took you so long?" he asked.

A glance confirmed that Troy had just arrived, dropping his backpack on the bleachers, which yielded a sprinkling of dust that landed in Sharpay's hair. "Darbus wanted to talk about the next musical," he explained apologetically.

Chad made a face before reverting back to his bright smile. "Well, get over here. Jump shots, right?"

Troy nodded and approached with his usual, confident strut, and though neither Ryan nor his sister could see anything but the boys' profiles, they both had a feeling that their shared gaze held numerous shades of meaning.

Sharpay watched with wide eyes as Troy closed the distance between them, expecting some sort of passionate embrace, but Chad stopped his friend's progress with the basketball he held in front of him.

Sharpay was focused intently on the faces of the pair, but Ryan was more preoccupied with the sets fingers barely touching on the basketball as they stood, just looking at each other.

Chad's mouth moved, but what he said was a whisper that neither twin could hear, though Troy's resulting expression indicated some measure of gratification. He released the ball, and they got to work practicing their jump shots.

---

It was an eternity later that the spies were finally able to exhale in relief as their suspects retreated to the locker room. While they hurried out of the gym's back exit, knees soiled from the floor, Sharpay flipped her hair irritably.

"That was completely useless!" she huffed.

Ryan, who'd rather enjoyed watching Chad in action, wasn't quick to agree, but he knew what she meant. After the first curious display, neither boy had indicated anything other than simple companionship and a desire to perfect his basketball skills; Ryan and Sharpay had been needlessly cramped under the bleachers for over an hour.

"Well, at least we know who'll win the next basketball championship," Ryan offered, attempting nonchalance.

"Ryan, this is no time for school spirit. It's been a whole day, and we haven't even seen them kiss yet," Sharpay snapped.

Ryan's eyebrows shot up. "Is that what you expected?"

"What else would I expect?"

Ryan shook his head at his sister's ignorance. "Shar, if Chad and Troy . . . Even if they _are_ together, they're still practically in the closet. They're not gonna risk _everything_ . . . You just don't . . ." He sighed. "You don't get it."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You gays are _so_ misunderstood. A girl like me could never have any idea what you go through. Blah blah blah. It doesn't matter. We're gonna catch them in the act, whether I 'get it' or not."

Worried by her suddenly obvious disdain for the possible couple in question, Ryan was silent with thought the rest of the way home.

---

Incidentally, Chad and Troy avoided being caught "in the act" until that Thursday, but, probably for the better, Sharpay was completely unaware of what her brother had the misfortune of perceiving.

Ryan was on his way to biology, by far his least favorite subject, and was trying to recall the lyrics to a song when he heard it--a moan.

It wasn't lengthy or loud, but Ryan's interest was definitely piqued; for the sound had emanated from the closed boys' bathroom to his right, in front of which he slowed to a stop. Glancing around to make sure no one else was present, he gingerly pressed his ear against the door. Granted, it was an invasion of privacy and undoubtedly underhanded to be eavesdropping on someone obviously having a personal encounter, but Ryan's gut told him he should pay more attention to this occurrence, especially since the throaty vocalization had sounded eerily like--

"_Chad_ . . ."

There was a flicker of burning jealousy in Ryan's abdomen, and only raw curiosity convinced him to stay glued to the door. With an uncomfortable feeling of helplessness, he endured the soft noises the boys inside made, lamentably able to turn each sound into a mental picture. Finally, there was a grunt, a hiss of exhalation, and then silence.

Inwardly aching, Ryan was about to turn away when Chad's breathless voice traveled through the wood of the door.

"My parents are going away for the weekend."

It was with regret that Troy responded, "Gabi's coming back tomorrow." Ryan closed his eyes in distress; having his speculations confirmed wasn't nearly as satisfying as he'd anticipated.

"Come on," was Chad's frank reply, followed by what was probably some form of physical coercion. "She won't mind if you spend some time with your best friend, will she?"

"I dunno, man. She's been gone all week. She'll probably want me to take her out for dinner or something." Troy's resolve was obviously faltering.

"You could do that any time. I mean, think about it: a big, empty house, just you and me . . ."

Ryan could imagine that persuasive mouth, widening into a smile, closing over his own--

"I'll think about it; okay?"

Ryan cringed at the ensuing smooching sound and, expecting (hoping) the pair would be exiting soon, pushed himself in the direction of his class, his stature even more rigid than usual.

When he arrived, ignoring the teacher's complaints about his uncharacteristic tardiness, Sharpay snapped her gum at him. "Where've you been?" she asked in a whisper.

Ryan didn't react, simply pulling out his textbook and opening it to the page of homework he'd "forgotten" to do.

Minutes later, Troy strolled into the room, and Sharpay ogled him shamelessly, not quite catching on to the non-coincidence of both his and Ryan's unpunctuality.

---

Ever since the previous summer, Chad had made a habit of spending at least one lunch period per week in the company of his favorite drama club member slash baseball pro. It was hardly enough to satiate Ryan's growing longing for him, but it wasn't like he was going to complain; and usually, he didn't have the urge to, but as Chad sat down next to him presently, especially after that morning, Ryan did feel an inkling of irritation with the darker boy.

"'Sup, Evans," Chad saluted as usual, tucking into his meal.

"Reading Kelsi's new composition," Ryan responded faintly, not looking up from the sheet music in front of him.

"Yeah? Is it good?" Chad inquired around his mouthful of food.

"Mmhmm."

Ryan could feel Chad's questioning gaze flick over him but paid it no mind.

"You okay, man? You're, like . . . _quiet_," Chad noted after a moment's hesitation.

Setting his jaw, Ryan nodded. "Just dandy."

"Yeah, even though you look like somebody just blew up Broadway," Chad agreed jokingly.

"I'm just stressed about the next musical," Ryan fabricated. "Being president of the drama club isn't exactly easy." He still didn't look up, and he sensed Chad's remaining skepticism. "Seriously. I'm not gonna be much fun today. Maybe you oughta go hang out with Troy," he suggested, waving a hand in the general direction of the basketball team.

Chad seemed to perk up at that idea. "You sure you want me to go?"

"Yeah . . ." Chad rose to his feet willingly--_eagerly_, and, out of resentment, Ryan chose to append, "Besides, you won't have much time to yourselves when Gabi gets back." He finally met Chad's eyes. "Might as well enjoy it while you can."

A flash of something indescribable made its way over Chad's features, so quickly Ryan almost didn't notice it. Almost.

"I'll catch you later then," Chad declared, distrust dancing in his voice.

---

After school, Sharpay was more chipper than normal as she flounced to Ryan's locker and waited for him to get his books.

"What's with you?" Ryan asked, still sour about what he had overheard and his encounter with Chad that afternoon.

Sharpay raised her eyebrows at his biting tone. "Someone's in a sunny mood," she observed sarcastically.

"I have a lot to be happy about," Ryan assured her in the same manner.

"Well, you will in about two seconds. I've finally got them cornered," Sharpay promised cheerily.

"Them?" Ryan tensed as the answer dawned on him. "_Oh_. Right." He was just about sick of the whole thing and was more than ready to drop the "investigation" altogether.

"Okay, so apparently, _Chad's_ parents are going out of town for the weekend, and I have it from a reliable source (the text I read over _Troy's_ shoulder) that _Troy_ is invited on Saturday," Sharpay informed, dropping her voice to a whisper every time she dropped a name.

"And?"

"And _we_ should be there to confirm our suspicions," Sharpay explained.

"Shar, why don't we just give it up? It's not even interesting anymore," Ryan tried.

"Not interesting?" Sharpay let out a laugh. "Our school's two most popular jocks having a love affair is probably the most _interesting_ thing that's happened in New Mexico since, like, the _Alamo_."

Pretty sure that last bit of information was false, Ryan began to correct, "I don't think the Al--"

"And anyway, we can't give up now, not after we've come so far."

Ryan sighed. If Sharpay considered stooping to such low levels as spying and eavesdropping to be "so far," he didn't know how he could argue with her. "Just think about how what you're doing will affect other people before you do it," he advised, shutting his locker and starting toward her car. He spotted Chad and Troy walking up ahead, Chad showing off and joking around as they made their way outside.

---

Friday, Ryan was brand new. He was resolved to be in such good spirits that he would sparkle, and sparkle he did. Even Chad commented on it when he approached him before first period.

"You look . . . happier," he offered with a slight smile, which Ryan confidently returned.

"I _am_ happier. Have you seen Gabriella today?" Merely needing to find her and discuss the musical, it hadn't been Ryan's intention to bring up Troy, but, inevitably, the two names were intertwined.

Chad's mouth, which Ryan now noticed was set into a distinct frown, twitched as if he wanted to say something other than, "With Troy." He gestured over his shoulder a little wistfully.

Ryan felt a shocking pang of sympathy for Chad as he looked at Troy and Gabriella, snuggled together amid the crowd of jocks. His surprise at his unexpected compassion must have shown on his face, for he was soon aware of Chad's question,

"What? You didn't think they'd be all over each other when she got back?"

"Oh, no. I just--Never mind." Ryan pushed a smile to his lips, recognizing Chad's bitter tone. "What are you gonna do?"

Chad seemed to get Ryan's meaning. "Eh. I thought I'd stalk you for the rest of the day," he quipped with an easy nudge.

"Oh, great. Now _I_ have to babysit you. Thanks a lot, Troy," Ryan joked back, wondering if this was the kind of comfort that came with having a best friend who wasn't one's bossy, bitchy, twin sister. He glanced again behind Chad and saw that Troy was headed their way, girlfriend and guy friends in tow. "So, I guess I'll see you in class," he asserted, wanting, at least, to get in a goodbye before Chad was swept away.

The latter shrugged, obviously aware of Troy's approach, but not yet turning to go.

"Hey, Chad," Troy greeted when he reached them, motioning for the other guys to keep going. "Ryan," he added with a nod of his head.

Chad's smile's luminescence didn't quite match that of his grin in days past, but he was trying not to show his obvious affliction with the situation.

"How was your trip?" Ryan asked Gabriella cordially as the other boys chatted stiltedly about something sports-related.

"Long," Gabriella replied simply, rolling her eyes a little.

Ryan chuckled, mentally noting that Chad and Troy were suddenly silent and staring at each other. "So, I definitely need to talk to you about the next musical."

"I know; Sharpay told me," Gabriella affirmed, blissfully unaware of her boyfriend's infidelity. "She said you guys wanted to run through the material tomorrow."

""Tomorrow?"" Chad and Ryan spoke simultaneously, each catching the other's eye, Chad questioning Ryan's surprise, which also puzzled Gabriella.

"She didn't mention it?" she asked, forehead dimpling.

Immediately fronting and aware of the communicative look Chad was directing at Troy, Ryan shook off his shock and dismissively explained, "Well, you know Sharpay--always making plans. She probably just forgot to tell me. Actually though, I had some stuff I wanted to discuss right now. Mind if I borrow her, Troy?" He directed his question at Chad, who blinked in bewilderment. "Great!"

"I'll see you next period," Gabriella said, kissing Troy on the cheek before joining Ryan and walking away. Ryan looked back to see Chad and Troy conversing in what appeared to be hushed tones, shaking his head at how obvious they were.

As much as Ryan hoped Sharpay wasn't planning what he thought she was planning, very little doubt was left in his mind as soon as he and Gabriella saw her in the hall, looking overly pleased with herself.

"Oh, _hi_, Gabriella!" she greeted with far too much enthusiasm and far too large a grin.

Gabriella just smiled as Ryan declared, "So, you didn't tell me we were working on the musical tomorrow, Shar." He raised his eyebrows warningly.

With a quick glance at Gabriella, Sharpay blinked innocently. "Didn't I? Hmm. It must have slipped my mind. You don't have plans with Troy, right, Gabi?"

"Um, no. He and Chad are getting ready for the big game," Gabriella answered with slight confusion.

"See, Ry?" Sharpay cocked her head to the side. "It's convenient. _Troy_ will be busy with _Chad_." The threatening glint in her eyes was something Ryan did not like.

"Actually, I've been thinking it might be better if we went over the _music_ a little more before we show anyone else," Ryan suggested.

"Well, _I_ think we could use a third person's input," Sharpay countered.

"I'm not so sure we understand the material yet, so--"

"I dunno about you, but I understand it just fine, and I'm ready to show Gabriella!" Sharpay snapped in a tone that was nothing if not final.

Gabriella looked between them both before hesitantly offering, "I'm free Sunday, too, if you want to postpone--"

"That'd be a lot bett--"

"What Ryan means to say is that we have plans that day," Sharpay blurted. "It has to be Saturday. So, we'll see you then." She abruptly hooked Ryan's arm and hurried him away from Gabriella, hissing, "What are you doing?"

"I don't think it's a good idea," Ryan stated as they rounded a corner.

"_What_? Since when? It's a great idea, and you know it. Gabriella doesn't deserve betrayal any more than anyone else does, and letting her know about something she obviously doesn't suspect is the _nice_ thing to do."

"You don't know what it's like for them, Sharpay. They're only trying to be happy, and who are we to take that away from them?"

"We're friends of the people they're hurting by doing . . . what they're doing."

"You're _not_ Gabriella's friend! You're just trying to keep Troy from ever being happy without you, whether it's with her _or_ Chad!" Ryan barked, wrenching away and pulling himself up to his full height. "What you're doing is wrong, Sharpay, and I don't want to have anything to do with it."

Sharpay's nails suddenly biting into his forearm stopped him from dramatically storming away as he would have liked. "What _we're_ doing, _Bro_," she corrected darkly. "This whole thing already has your name written on it in permanent marker. You _can't_ back out now."

Ryan narrowed his eyes and stepped away. "Just watch me, _Sis_."

---

In second period, Chad was grinning--hell, _glowing_. He was ecstatic that he and Troy had Saturday to themselves, and Ryan could barely look at him, let alone ruin his day by letting on what he had done--what Sharpay was going to do.

"Hey, what's with you?" Chad questioned, his expression fading only slightly as he noticed Ryan's poorly hidden distress.

Ryan opened his textbook and pretended to be working. "Forgot to do the homework." _This is all my fault._

"We didn't have any last night," Chad pointed out as he took his seat next to Ryan.

"For another class," Ryan lied again. _If I had just kept my mouth shut._

"Oh. So? Dude, I hardly ever do my homework. Don't stress so much."

Ryan shrugged. _If had just kept my stupid jealousy to myself, none of this would be happening._

Troy skirted through the door just as the late bell was sounding and rushed to the desk in front of Chad, casting an apologetic look at the teacher.

"Where were _you_?" Chad asked teasingly, eyes alight.

Troy looked at him over his shoulder and smiled as he said, "Gabriella."

_Gabriella's gonna be so upset, and Chad and Troy will have to split up._ Sharpay's voice in Ryan's head was an unwelcome reminder, _**Isn't that what you want? To have Chad all to yourself?**__ Not like this. I don't want to hurt him. __**Sure you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't have said anything.**_ There was some truth to that, Ryan decided. At least on a subconscious level, he had to have known what Sharpay would do if she suspected, how she would react. And he hated himself for behaving so cruelly. The only way to redeem himself now was to confess all that he had done, all that he knew. But even as he leaned over to explain, his thoughts interrupted his progress. _She'll never give up. She'll keep trying to find ways to catch them and hurt Gabriella . . . Chad will hate me. __**And you don't want that.**__ No, I don't want that._ He sat back in his chair and heaved a sigh, his anguish now going unnoticed, as Chad was preoccupied with making Troy laugh.

---

Gabriella was excited to hear that Troy was taking her to dinner that evening, as was displayed quite clearly in biology, when she could hardly keep from jumping him right in the middle of class. Sharpay watched their murmured, giggly conversation in the back of the classroom with an envious eye, and Ryan could hardly stand it.

"God, _Shar_, you're practically _drooling_." His Ryan's spiteful allusion went ignored, as Sharpay only pursed her lips and chose not to respond.

Needless to say, Ryan wasn't getting a ride from her afterschool. He found himself sitting on a bench outside East High, contemplating calling a cab or, heaven forbid, taking the bus.

"Evans?" Chad's voice preceded him as he spotted Ryan and trotted over, as upbeat as ever. "The Lioness didn't give you a ride?"

Usually, Ryan would have pretended to be offended, defended his other half, but he was neither in the mood to flirt nor in favor of said twin at the moment. Chad was being so considerate, looked so genuinely curious as to what was troubling his friend.

_Friend_. "Chad, I really screwed up," Ryan mourned on impulse, dropping his head into palms propped on lavender-clad knees. How badly he wanted to fess up, shove the elephant off his chest and breathe freely. He heard the snaps of Chad's back pockets clang on the metal seat as he sat down, felt the comforting hand placed on the square of his back, so painfully platonically.

"Man, if you need somebody to talk to . . ."

_God, I do. I __**do**__._ The truth was on the tip of Ryan's tongue; he was so close to saving everyone from their potential unhappiness. "I know about--"

"Sorry about the wait, dude. Darbus. _Again_."

The soles of Troy's shoes slapping the pavement cut off Ryan's tentative announcement, and the warmth of Chad's fingers fell away.

"No problem, man."

It was as if Ryan had melted into the bench, the way Troy and Chad stared at each other all of a sudden. Ryan was aware that it was a guy thing, the raw, unfiltered lust a respectable girl would have had the manners to mask in front of the rest of the world. They were blind to their surroundings, and it was a blessing no one else happened upon them in such a state.

"Hell_oo_," Ryan sang with false gaiety, relieved when Chad and Troy snapped out of it. "Whoa, what was that, you guys?" Maybe if he hinted, they might bring it up first. Maybe everything would just come pouring out.

Chad glanced at Troy and gave Ryan a stare of feigned ignorance. "Huh?"

"Yeah, what're you talking about?" Troy asked, voice hitching awkwardly.

"Your little _moment_ just now?" They'd feel less threatened if he played it off as a casual joke. "Cute."

Chad socked him in the arm with a half-nervous, half-trying-_not_-to-be-nervous chuckle. "Dude, you think everybody's in some secret relationship."

Ryan raised an eyebrow as he rubbed his arm. "When have I ever accused anyone of that? In fact, when did I ever accuse _you_--"

"We probably oughta get outta here," Troy cut in, managing a much more natural attitude than his best friend. "I gotta go get ready for my date with Gabi."

"Oh, _right_." Ryan nodded somewhat sarcastically, wondering if Chad and Troy had any idea just how much he knew.

"You need a ride?" Chad offered as he rose to his feet, obviously glad of the subject change.

"Yeah, we can drop you off," Troy agreed, though the way he glared at Chad indicated he really would have rather left the blond in front of the school.

"Nah, I think I'll call a taxi." Ryan was terrified of the closed confines of a vehicle.

""A taxi?"" Chad and Troy repeated in unison.

"Yeah. It's not like my parents can't afford it." Cramped in such a small space with so much on his mind, who knew what he might say?

---

"_It's all your fault, Ducky. You should have never said those things to your sister."Ryan's mother shook her head in disappointment._

"_I'm sorry, Mom. If I had known--"_

_Chad's face sprang into view, contorted into a grimace that mocked his ever-present smile. "If you had known I would never want __**you**__, you wouldn't have bothered, huh? Well, it's too late now, Evans--"_

"_Chad--"_

"_Save it. I never wanna see you again."_

_Ryan's chest was tight with rejection as Chad's retreating form blended in with their surroundings. "Chad, wait!" He took a shaky step forward, practically rooted to the spot. "Chad! __**Please**__! I'm sorry!" He heard more than felt his own sobs. "Chad! Chad! Chad!"_

"Chad!" Ryan's eyes snapped open, and he pressed a clammy palm to his palpitating heart, swallowing painfully and not quite remembering anything but the unhappy boy in his nightmare.

---

"Sharpay!" Ryan ran from his sister's empty room in alarm. "Sharpay!"

Both their parents had left for work that Saturday morning, and Ryan had seen his sister before hopping in the shower just fifteen minutes earlier.

Now, however, there was no sign of her. Anywhere.

_That bitch. That horrible, selfish, awf . . ._ Ryan stopped his mental rant mid-adjective and darted to the foyer to grab his keys, out the door, and to his sports car. As he sped past the estate homes of his neighbors, he could only pray he wasn't too late. _I have to stop this. I can't let it happen._

He loosely remembered where Chad lived from the day they had spent in each other's company near the end of that summer (one of the best days of Ryan's social life to date), and he drove there as quickly he could without recalling the exact address.

He briefly wondered how Sharpay had procured said information, but it soon occurred to him that Zeke Baylor still trailed her like a puppy dog and would never turn down her request for information if asked.

"Shit, shit, _shit_," he swore under his breath as he rounded the corner and spotted the bright pink convertible already parked down the street.

He pulled to a stop behind the vehicle and leapt from his car, recognizing the layout of Chad's front yard a few houses away. He pocketed his keys and made a run for it. He was on his way to the front door when he spotted his sister's blonde mane near the back gate. She and Gabriella were crouched, peering through the slats of the fence, though Gabriella repeatedly shot confused glances at her "friend" in the short time it took Ryan to make it over to them from the sidewalk. As he crossed, he was vaguely aware of the sound of a basketball bouncing with gradually decreasing speed, as if it had been forgotten mid-game.

After the fact, it occurred to him; maybe he should have yelled. Maybe he should have thrown his keys. Maybe he should have done _something_ to get the attention of the doomed boys before--

"Troy!?" Gabriella sprang to her feet upon the exclamation, already shaking with emotion, and Sharpay swung open the evidently unlocked gate, to reveal Chad and Troy standing rather close together on Chad's makeshift basketball court. With a deflated feeling, Ryan could only assume that they had finally been caught "in the act."

"Gabi?" Troy stared around Chad, eyes wide, and Chad, too, spun to face them in response, declaring shakily,

"It--it's not what it looks--"

Gabriella just shook her head and turned tail, tears welling in her eyes as she passed Ryan on her way to Sharpay's car.

Not completely heartless, Sharpay's face showed an inkling of lamentation, and she chased after Gabriella, yelling, "I thought you should know, Gabriella! It's too bad it had to happen like this!"

Ryan stepped toward the discovered couple, still too close to the gate to be seen by either of them, and just close enough to make out the details of Chad's stricken visage.

"What the hell are we gonna do?" Troy asked, panic in the harsh whisper of his voice. "Did you see her face? Man, I never thought--"

"Hit me," Chad interrupted lowly, eyebrows dropping with the sternness of the order.

"What?" Troy questioned, not following. This was odd, Ryan thought, for he caught on right away.

"Punch me and say I came onto you," Chad explained seriously.

Ryan imagined that Troy's expression was one of horror as he refused, "I can't do that! I'm not gonna--I won't sell you out to keep Gabi!"

"It's the only way, man. Just do it. I promise I won't hold it against you. And you better do it fast, or it won't work."

Ryan saw Troy's fist clenching, not quite believing he was actually considering Chad's ludicrous suggestion. "Chad, think about what you're--"

"Just do it!"

Troy's whole body tensed as his knuckles flew forward and collided with Chad's face, probably not as hard as was possible, but hard enough to shove Chad backward, clutching his injured nose.

Troy's fingers uncurled, and he rushed toward his best friend. "I'm so sorry! Jesus, I didn't--"

"Go!" Chad made the desperate command even as blood started trickling onto his lips.

"Chad, I--"

"Go _now_!" Chad closed his eyes and turned away, a couple drops of red hitting the pavement at his feet.

"I'm sorry," Troy repeated softly, faltering just a moment before he pivoted and went after Gabriella. On his way out, he caught a glimpse of Ryan, and his gaze hardened in understanding of who was to blame.

Ryan watched him go regretfully but was somewhat relieved to hear his sister's annoying voice, which meant Gabriella hadn't gotten away without giving Troy a chance to explain. That relationship was well on its way to being mended, but Chad . . .

The dark boy was sitting in the middle of his yard, head tossed back and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Even in this kind of agony, Ryan couldn't help but consider how beautiful the other boy was.

He approached him cautiously, as he would a wounded animal, gently calling, "Chad?"

"'Sup, Evads?" Chad's muddled words tugged at Ryan's heartstrings violently.

"Are you . . . Here." Ryan pulled a light blue handkerchief from his back pocket and held it where Chad could reach.

As Chad's fingers closed around the cloth, Ryan could swear that he saw tears swimming in his eyes, but naturally, they were only from the pain of Troy's blow; right?

"Chad--"

"Save it," Chad muttered.

Ryan's stomach dropped. "What?"

"I said 'save it.' I don't wanna hear your apology," Chad elucidated exhaustedly.

"Please, just hear me out. I didn't mean--"

"Yes, you did. Of course you did. And why lie? I woulda done the same thing if it was Troy, if Troy was . . ."

Ryan felt the sting of his own eyes. "It wasn't supposed to go this far. I was just telling Sharpay what I was feeling. I was just _talking_, and things got out of hand."

"I know," Chad accepted quietly.

Ryan did a double take. "Wait. You _know_?"

"Yep." Chad's tone was cold, detached. "I know you just wanted somebody to be there for you when you were lonely. I know you didn't complain when things went bad. I know you could've stopped it any time. I know you knew who could get hurt. I know you chose your own happiness over Troy's or Gabriella's or mine." Ryan's face crumpled. "And I know it's not your fault."

Ryan's sharp intake of breath was his only response.

"That's right. I don't blame you."

Ryan shook his head, not willing to let this web of cruelty grow any larger. "Sharpay's just--"

"And I don't blame Sharpay," Chad corrected as if Ryan should have understood where he was going with this.

"How can you--This _is_ my fault. _I _let this happen when I could've done anything to stop it!" Ryan cried, wanting Chad to at least give him the gratification of being scolded, of being hated and rejected.

"If it's anyone's fault, it's mine," Chad murmured, moving the handkerchief a little.

This hopeless, mournful boy at Ryan's feet was unnerving. Where was the passionate, energetic individual to whom he was so helplessly attracted?

"You don't mean that," he opposed.

"No. I do. It's my fault for being so stupid and needy and . . . _I'm_ the one who got Troy into this. _I'm_ the one who convinced him to spend this weekend with me instead of his girlfriend. _I'm_ the one who said we should enjoy the nice day outside. _I'm_ the one who fell in love with . . . I shoulda never made my problem his problem."

Ryan's heart ba-dumped heavily, and he dropped down beside the boy he'd never known was so like him. "I fell in love, too, ya know," he admitted, casting a shy glance Chad's way.

"Yeah. Well, we kinda suck that way," Chad stated, half a grin finding its way out from underneath Ryan's handkerchief.

Ryan made a scoffing noise, staring absentmindedly around the fenced area, the distant argument outside Sharpay's convertible barely reaching his ears. "So, is this it for you guys?"

"God, I hope not," Chad earnestly offered. "But, based on the way Gabi reacted . . . I don't think she'll want me and Troy hanging out any time soon, and Troy . . ."

"Will have to oblige," Ryan finished with a sigh.

"Pretty much. I always knew he would choose her anyway, when it came down to it. I just . . . didn't think it would be so soon."

"Well, if you need someone to talk to . . ."

"Find somebody who isn't in love with me?" Chad asked jokingly, finally pulling away the cloth, as his nose seemed to have stopped bleeding.

"Exactly," Ryan shot back with a playful nudge. "You can keep that, by the way," he added, gesturing at the stained rag with a cringe.

"Yep. I'll put it with the other symbols of how shitty my life is." Chad wiped a hand under his nose, wincing at the dried blood that flaked off. "Fuck. I gotta get cleaned up." As he rose to his feet, he glanced at the passing couple in his front yard, who were solemnly heading toward Troy's truck. Sharpay's convertible zipped by them in the backdrop.

Troy at least had the honor to give Chad one final, poignant stare across the expanse of grass. His eyes were apologetic, and Chad dismissively closed his own and turned back to Ryan. "You want something to drink?"

Ryan looked up at him from the ground. "You're not mad?"

Chad's mouth quirked into something like a smile. "No, man. I'm not mad."

Ryan followed him inside, unhappily thinking, _You should be._

---

Somehow, Troy had convinced Gabriella not to give Taylor any of the news about Chad's "crush" on his best friend.

For the time being, she seemed to have even forgiven the afroed boy for his "one-time" mistake, which she showed him through her polite greeting in the hall that Monday morning.

It probably helped that Chad had a massive bruise stretching across his face, which served to solidify the fact that Gabriella's boyfriend was _not_ a cheater.

Troy offered Chad a hesitant "Hey" when he was walking from his English class later that same day, and Chad "Hey"ed back in a mock-cheery voice that didn't fool Ryan.

But eventually, everything returned to normal, as Chad wriggled his way back into best-friend-dom, and Gabriella resolved to forget all about the kiss she had observed.

Even Ryan and Sharpay got back on speaking terms after she caught him off guard with a very sorry hug in the middle of the school's courtyard.

"You were right, Ryan. I can't believe what I did," she professed so only he could hear, clinging to him like a long-lost favorite possession.

As always, Ryan could only give her what she wanted and returned the embrace. "It's okay. No permanent damage."

Only, he knew that wasn't the case. He still blamed all those little, barely noticeable things, which were forever changed, on his lack of reservation with his words, no matter what Chad had said as he poured drinks on Saturday.

_"If I'm not mad at you, then you shouldn't be either."_

_"Thanks, but I can't help feeling like you're being too nice."_

_"It could be worse; I could be too mean."_

_"Yeah, but then at least I wouldn't have to blame __**myself**__ for everything."_

_"You don't 'have to.' Just let it go."_

As with most seemingly effortless suggestions, Ryan forgiving himself was easier said than done.

**A/N: Phew! Was that long or what? I had no idea how I was gonna end it, but I'm pretty happy with where it left off. Review if you like.**


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